Where he Stands
by Banana Flavored Lemonade
Summary: Based on the conversation in 'Red Light on the Wedding Night'After 3 months of Marriage Max still has a minor role in Rory's life and isn't happy about it.When things go pear shaped the main man in the girls lives comes to the rescue.JavaJunkie.Rory/Luke


_Max-they're still outside._

_Lorelai-Who?_

_Max-Rory and Dean._

_Lorelai-Oh._

_Max-How long you think they'll be out there?_

_Lorelai-Oh I dunno._

_Max-So there's no time limit?_

_Lorelai-Yeah, well when they get tired of saying, 'No you're prettier' to each other then the nights over._

_Max-Lorelai C'mon._

_Lorelai-What?_

_Max-Well I'm gonna be living here soon_

_Lorelai-I know that._

_Max-Well I Just don't know what the procedure is when stuff like this comes up._

_Lorelai-Stuff like what?_

_Max-Well say I come home and there's Rory and Dean all alone, in the dark, after 11 o'clock at night. I mean, how do I handle stuff like that?_

_Lorelai- Oh Max, Rory is very low maintenance, kinda like that Robot kid of A-I except way less mother obsessed, Oh my god, that kid was so annoying. I would've pushed him out of the car while it was still moving._

_Max-What if I catch them one night, making out on the couch?_

_Lorelai-Um, well turn off the light._

_Max-Uh, You're not being serious._

_Lorelai-Max, they're teenagers, they can kiss a little bit._

_Max-Oh, well what do I do if Rory comes home drunk?_

_Lorelai-Max, Come On!_

_Max-Well it happens._

_Lorelai-Not to Rory it doesn't_

_Max-I know but theoretically, in a make believe world, if she did what would I do?_

_Lorelai-Nothing._

_Max-Excuse me?_

_Lorelai-No, You would do nothing, I would handle it._

_Max-So basically I have no role in Rory's life?_

_Lorelai-Max, Rory's done, she brought up, she's Rory. You don't need a role_

_Max-Fine!_

_Lorelai-I...I don't see the problem here._

_Max-Clearly, So I should do nothing around here, not ever._

_Lorelai-No, not nothing, not never._

_Max-Well what then?_

_Lorelai-Well making the garlic bread the other night was really good._

_Max-So other than making Garlic Bread and answering the phone, what is my role around here?_

_Lorelai-You're my fella, my guy, my ol' man._

_Max-well what does that entail?_

_Lorelai-All things dirty._

_Max-I'm not joking here, were getting married Lorelai._

_Lorelai-I know._

_Max-Well that means that were taking two separate lives and melding them together and creating one, how do you think that's gonna work?_

_Lorelai-I don't know._

_Max-Well have you given it any thought at all?_

_Lorelai-No... I, I mean but I will... I'll start right now._

_Max-How would you feel if I told you that I haven't thought about our future at all?_

_Lorelai-Terrible, I would feel terrible, I'm sorry. I mean it, I'm sorry... just please come here. Just remember it's all those little annoying quirks that make me the fascinating woman you fell in love with._

"I do love you but you know, I'm gonna be a part of Rory's life too, I need to know what to do in any future situation regarding her." Max said as he pulled Lorelai's arms from their place around his neck and stepped back, resting against her sewing table.

"C'mon. Rory has her little circle of leaders and she's worked her way to where she is and it's not gonna change. Plus how often do you expect to be left alone with her, she's a teenager, she has a boyfriend and a life, she's hardly ever at home now, nothing is gonna change in the near future." Lorelai answered tiredly as she started getting into her pyjamas.

"Yes, it IS going to change Lorelai, were getting married, I need to have some sort of control over her." Max demanded as he followed her, not even paying attention to the fact that she was only in her bra and panties.

"Max! Drop it, you're coming into OUR world, this is OUR life at the moment and Rory doesn't NEED anyone else shouting demands at her, that's not how our world works, we have a system and it's working well. I very rarely play the 'Mum Card' and that means that you won't play the 'Step-dad Card'." Lorelai said as she re-entered her bedroom after brushing her teeth, Max still on her tail.

"Lorelai..." Max began but was quickly cut off by Lorelai's protests.

"Max! I SAID TO DROP IT!" Lorelai yelled at him.

"Fine" Max said at a normal volume, throwing his arms up in surrender as he backed out of Lorelai's room. "I'll see you tomorrow, I think it'd be best if I slept at my place tonight." With that Max started descending the stairs and left through the front door, Lorelai didn't make any move to stop him. She didn't want to see him anymore that night, he'd come into her house and pretty much demanded that she hand over partial parental rights to Rory. 'Not Happening' was all she could think.

With the argument out of the way Lorelai walked downstairs and kissed Rory goodnight, then resigning to her bedroom she lay in bed and started thinking about the very few people apart from herself that Rory would listen to in a crisis or moment of anger. There was Mrs. Kim, Sookie, Her grandma and Grandpa, Chris occasionally and ONE other person that she was guaranteed to listen to any time...

**O0o Three months later after the wedding o0O**

_**Lukes Diner**_

It had been a seriously hectic week for Rory, with Mid-Terms coming up and things at home having gotten cramped and thrown out of whack all she wanted was a nice relaxing breakfast before yet ANOTHER day of intense working at school. All seemed well and good, relatively normal even until Max walked into the Diner and started going on about how Bootsie's newsstand didn't have his Wall Street Journal today just because he hadn't gone in to get it yesterday. Until then it had been Luke and Lorelai bantering, Lorelai and Rory stealing each other's food, you know normal stuff. But now here was Mr. Max Medina, her Lit teacher, rattling off the downsides to living in a small town and insulting Stars Hollow, picking at it and picking some more until there wasn't even anything left for the vultures that circled overhead.

Having been paying no attention whatsoever to the actual contents of the conversation other then the slagging on Stars Hollow part Rory was surprised when she tuned in to hear Lorelai say, "...Well I guess looking at some other out of town places might not be so bad."

"What?" Rory asked as she came back to this world where her mother and Max were staring at her for suddenly entering the conversation.

"We were just talking about maybe looking into getting a bigger place out of Stars Hollow." Max replied, smiling but Rory was NOT impressed.

"Seriously?" Rory asked as she took on a look of complete anger over her face.

"Yeah sweets, what you think?" Lorelai asked apprehensively, having not fully grasped the look on Rory's face.

"It's a terrible idea, we can't move!" Rory replied to Lorelai and Max's surprise and annoyance.

"Well Rory, were a family now, we have to make changes, for the better you know." Max insisted.

"NO!" Rory yelled as she stood up quickly, the speed of her action causing her chair to fall backwards, drawing the attention of all occupants of the diner. Luke even came out of the Kitchen where he had been covering for the sick Ceaser, looking right over to the source of the ruckus and finding, to his surprise an upset Rory.

"Rory, calm down, it was only an idea, it's not like we're gonna go out and buy a house right away, this is for the future, the distant future." Lorelai tried to appeased her daughter, touching her arm in a soothing manner.

"No! Just because he's in our lives now doesn't mean that everything gets to change. I like my life just the way it is. YOU CAN'T JUST CHANGE IT ALL ON ME!" Rory was by this point gesturing wildly and yelling right at Lorelai.

"Hey, Young Lady you DO NOT speak to your mother like that." Max ordered as he glared at Rory.

"NO! YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! YOU'RE NOT MY DAD!" Rory yelled straight in Max's face, turning to Lorelai she yelled again, "YOU'RE GONNA RUIN EVERYTHING!"

Lorelai looked like she was going to break down at any minute because of Rory's outburst so Luke decided to step in. In a loud booming voice that was commanding yet not in any way threatening Luke yelled, "Rory! You apologise to you mother _Right Now_!_" _these words were spoken as he rounded the counter and marched over to their table.

"Why? I don't wanna move, I don't wanna leave Stars Hollow." Rory's voice was softer and sadder as she faced Luke.

"Because I said so, that's why. Now do it or else."

"Sorry Mum." Rory said resignedly as she faced Lorelai square on.

"That's okay babe." Lorelai said as she grasped her daughters hand comfortingly. Both girls were smiling but Max was not.

"What about me, she yelled at me to. You were extremely rude Rory, apologise." Max once again was firing demands at her like he somehow had control over the upset teen.

Both Rory and Lorelai were looking at Max with astonishment on their faces, after a while of the staring Max spoke up again, "Well?" Lorelai just looked up at Rory as Rory looked at Max with a defiant pressure between her lips, clamping them shut. All Lorelai could think was, 'what is she, four again?'

"Rory!" Max tried again and Lorelai started using a pleading look on her daughter, hoping against hope that Rory would return to her non-stressed-self and just apologise to Max and avoid the approaching fight.

"No, you know what, she was right to yell at you, you ARE an ass. Don't talk to her like you own her, you have no right." Luke said, coming to stand next to Rory.

"Excuse me, I'm married to Lorelai. Therefore I DO have a right, she's my Wife's daughter." Max protested.

"Yeah, you've been married for all of five minutes and you don't even Know Rory." Luke rebuffed.

"Whatever, Rory you have some explaining to do tonight." Max said as he left the Diner in a bad mood.

"Thanks Luke but you didn't have to; I could've handled it myself." Lorelai said, now raising to her feet and almost matching Luke's height due to her five inch heels.

"No, I did and YOU Little Miss..." Luke began, turning to Rory and firmly but comfortingly grasping her shoulder, "you don't ever speak to your mum like that again."

"Yes Luke." Rory conceded, defeated and slightly less angry, as she lowered her head but turned to her mum. "I really am sorry mum. I was just angry and I'm stressed out, you know with school and time and stuff..."

Rory looked like she was going into full on Rant mode so Lorelai grasped both of her daughter's shoulders and pulled her forward and into a warm embrace. "It's really okay sweets; I know where you're coming from."

"Thanks. So i guess I'm gonna get an earful from max tonight, hey?"

"Yeah but if he gives us too much trouble we'll come round here and get our big, strong flannel-clad protector to rough him up." Lorelai supplied playfully as she lightly punched Luke in the shoulder.

"Any time" Luke supplied easily as he walked away and escaped their antics.


End file.
